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Food is the universal peace-maker. Bagel is a household name and in this day and age, most Americans find that bagel and cream cheese is almost as common as mum and apple pie. Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Burger King and Dominos are an integral part of Israeli society.
While recently planning a trip to Jordan, I worried about eating properly. However, I was reassured following a query on the internet. There were four pizza huts alone in downtown Amman.
This was a wonderful experience. I went to the University of Haifa bookstore, which has the best reading variety in town. The University has a wide array of books in English, Hebrew, Arabic and Russian.
On the way out of the bookstore, I noticed three children and their mother conversing in Arabic. Each happened to be holding a box of my favorite American delicacy, Oreos. I inquired gently as to where they had purchased them. They responded by stating that they were readily available at the bookstore!
I abruptly returned to the cashier, where I hoped to find the treasured food. As Murphy's Law would have it, I was piped to the post. The customer in front of me, stole my thunder and ferreted away the very last box.
The three young children watched with a sympathetic glance. They offered to share their snacks with me. Their mother watched with a smile. I responded with a Todah they in turn acknowledged with Shalom Alechem (Peace unto you) and G-d Bless America in perfect English!
One of the wonderful things about living in a multi-cultural society like Israel is that there are many distinctive menus on offer. It is common to sit at an eatery and to share dinner and conversation with people from a myriad of backgrounds.
The Israeli diet is rich in vegetables, fruit, salads, and dairy products. The staples of the Israeli diet are humus, falafel, and Israeli salad. Humus and Falafel are chickpea products. Humus is a paste like form of chickpea usually eaten with pita bread. Falafel is chickpea formed into small balls, fried, and eaten in pita bread as a sandwich. Both Hummus and Falafel are eaten with or without vegetables and several possible sauces. Israeli salad is a combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and parsley, served with Israeli salad dressing, a combination of salt, lemon and olive oil.
Israelis enjoy a barbecue at least once a month. Lamb kebab, chicken breasts, beef flanks, and shwarma or roasted lamb are the favorite meat choices. Yes! Israelis like a cold beer, a glass of wine and even Jack Daniels.
Haifa has a wide variety of dining places that include corner falafel stands, high quality multi-national restaurants, and American fast food restaurants. For those of us who can't live without a Big Mac or Pizza Hut, don't worry-be happy! Whilst the Hebrew language may date back five thousand years, the most universal words are Shalom and Pizza please!
Outdoor cafes are both a source of nutrition and social activity, serving light meals, several varieties of coffee, and a wonderful array of baked goods. Like the rest of Israel, Haifa has a wonderful range of finer restaurants that include foods from all over the world.
Many of Israel's other sea front communities offer you the choice of dining in modern western style malls, or traditional inner city spots, or dining on the seashore with the Mediterranean as an aesthetic backdrop. Due to the nature of the Israeli diet, food costs are usually lower than in the United States. American style grocery stores abound in Israel, as do small local shops and the shuks or outdoor markets.
The larger grocery stores do carry American canned and packaged products such as Oreos and Campbell's soup. They also offer non-grocery items such as healthcare products, beauty aids and clothing. Most stores and restaurants in Israel accept major credit cards although some accept only those issued in Israel. Most Tourist Bureaus offer a comprehensive list of local dining.
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